Patna, June 22: The railway ministry has finally come up with its on-board magazine Rail Bandhu this month on the lines of the popular Air India inflight magazine.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s (IRCTC) employees will distribute the magazine for free on Rajdhani, Shatabdi and AC coaches of Duranto express trains. The magazine was formally launched in May 2011.
IRCTC regional manager Anand Kumar Jha said the magazine is a huge hit among passengers. Jha said: “The magazine has been conceptualised with the purpose of bringing the railways closer to the passengers. It is a bid to make the people of India aware of the fast-changing face of Indian Railways. People from all walks of life travel by train and this magazine will reflect the spirit of the traveller.”
He added: “The magazine is the brainchild of Bengal chief minister and former railway minister Mamata Banerjee. She was thinking of bringing out a railway magazine since she took over as the minister in 2009. When the project took shape, it was decided that the magazine would be named Rail Dost. But the minister preferred Rail Bandhu, as she felt the word “bandhu” would relate to all the people of this country.”
Asking about the purpose behind launching the magazine, Jha said: “Train journeys are often long. Many passengers wish they were carrying something to read that would be entertaining and informative. Rail Bandhu is one such product. It brings complete reading for travellers.”
The monthly magazine is available in both English and Hindi. It aims to be universal and interactive with something for everybody. It also has railway-related information, said Jha. “The magazine includes sections dedicated to those destinations which are accessible on trains. Luxury trains run by the railways also feature in the first issue. In addition, a significant part of the magazine consists of news related to railways future projects, policies and schemes,” Jha said.
Sources also said that later a few pages would be dedicated to passengers to share their experience to make the magazine more interactive.
